Dyeing apparatus.



D. M. HEY. DYEING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR-5, 1910.

Feb. 15,

Patented THE COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. C.

Eva-m Y as rannr @hfiltihl Davin Moitnizr Hither oi-iArrillidoeiif, rriitiiriissnn nssreivoi To vacuum Dra ns MACHINE COMPANY, or 'GHAT'TANOOGA; rnNNnssEn, A CORPORATION or TEN- iiinssiin.

insert.

nrniiie arriiaarns;

Patented Feb. is, this.

Application filed Apri15, 1910'. Serial No. 553,469.

To all whom itmag concern 7 I Be it known that 1, DAVID M. HEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Dyeing Apparatus, ofayhich the following is a sp'ecification.

This invention relates to dyeing apparatus of the circulatory type and particularly to the means thereof for heating the dye q Dyeing apparatus of the general type to which the present invention relates may be divided generally into two diiferentstyles. In one these styles of apparatusheretofore known the dyeing chamber proper coinprise's a. tank in Which the material being dyed is held under compression between perforated top and bottom plates, and the dye liquor after passing through the material and the upperplate overflows entirely around the top of the dyeing chamber into an overflow chamber, \vhichis formed an outer tankof greater di meter and greater depth than the dyeing chamber, extending above and entirely surrounding the dyeing chamber. This overflow chamber provided at one side With a suctionopening, provided with an emission pipe which is connected with the suction side o-fa centrifugal pump. This pump acts to with draw liquor from the overflow chamber and to return it to the dyeing chamber, the liquor entering the latter through the perforated bottom thereof. ihe overflow chamber has provision, usually in the form of a steam pipe coiled around the dyeing chamber, for heating the liquor. In the other style'of these apparatuses of the prior art there is substituted for the outer tank of the style first referred to an overflow chamber which is arranged at the side of the dyeing chant 7 her but does not extend entirely around the same. This overflow chamber has communication with the dyeing chamber at one side only of the center of the latter through an outlet formed in the Wall common to the dyeing chamber and the overflow chamber. In this style the provision for heating the dye liquor has been afforded by steam pipes arranged below the bottom perforated plate of the dyeing chamber. These-two styles may be arbitrarily designated as a double tank 2 and single tank? form, respectively. Practical experience with these embodiments has disclosec l, that delicacy and uniformity of coloring has not been secured and they are wholly unadapted for cold vat dyeing. I have learned. that these disadvantages are due to thepractical impossibility of securing an even distribution of heat throughout the ma es of dye liquor an'd the maintenance of theliquor at particular predetermined temperature, and at the same time a uniformlydistributed flovv of liquor through the materials in such a manner as to avoid formation of channels. The careful regu- Iation of both these conditions, namely, the temperature of the treating liquor and the presentation of equal amounts of liquor to all parts of the material being treated, is essential to; attain the best results.

One ofthe objects of the present invention is to provide an a}, paratus by means of vJhic-lrbbth of these conditions may be accurately controlled andre'gulated.

In the; double taiilc type of apparatus above referred to, since the heating pipe is coiled around the dye chamber, a greater heat is imparted to the liquor in the portions of the overflow chamber reinote from the suctionopening than is given to the liquor Within the area of effective suction. This induces a tendency of this, more highly heated, liquor to rise and to interfere with the free overflow of the liquor from the contiguous portion of the dyeing, Again, the tendency is to unequally heat the dye chamber. Thus, the action in these devices is toniake it practically impossible to maintain the dyeing chamber at a uniform temperature, to compel uniform flow of dye liquor through all parts thereof, and to maintain the liquor itself at a predetermined temperature. iVith the single tank form, someof these disadvant s have been reduced, but other effects contributing to a non-uniform dyeing and the imprztcticability of securing of delicate colors have been noted. Thus, While the overflow chamber is of such are "that its entire area may be under effective suction, yet its location at one side only, of the dyeing chamber, induces an uneven flovv of liquor Within the latter. Again, it hasbeeii noted that the steam eel lects nearth'e bfiittom of'the vat and effe cts a back pressure Within the dye liquohsupply 'pipes'or jets up through uree en r along the sides of the vat. M QQ K this illi pe as in other, there is at upportunity to determine the heat of the dye liquor previous to its admission to the dyeing chamber, and in both of these types the dyeing chamber is variably heated by radiation from the steam pipes, the portions thereof adjacent to the latter being more highly heated than the portions remote therefrom.

The ultimate object of my present invention is to provide a dyeing apparatus which will overcome these disadvantages and be fully capable of producing uniform and delicate colorings throughout the entire mass of material and be capable of use with cold-vat dyes. In pursuance of this ultimate object I have provided a dyeing apparatus having various new and severally useful features whereby (a) any desired temperature of the dyeliquor may be maintained, (6) the entire mass of material. may be uniformly treated, (0) there will be no tendency of the steam to collect near the bottom of the vat or to effect a back pressure within the supply pipe or to jet up through the dye-liquor along the sides of the dyeing chamber or vat, and (d) the apparatus will be fully adaptable for cold vat dyeing.

These sev ral purposes are well secured by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, exemplifying what I regard to be the best form of my present invention, but to the details of which the invention is not restricted, as will hereinafter appear.

In these drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of my apparatus, with a portion of the dye vat broken awav to disclose elements therein. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the preferred form of heater. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the accompanying drawings I have eX- emplified my invention in what is now regarded as the best form thereof and in connection with a dyeing apparatus of the single tank type, and I shall particularly describe this exemplification thereof, but it is to be understood that the invention-in its broader aspects is not restricted thereto.

A designates a dyeing vat of suitable shape, circular or otherwise, size and con struction and, as already stated, of the single tank form. This vat is, as usual, provided with a suitable perforated bottom plate 1 and a suitable perforated top plate 2. The bottom plate 1 is preferably arranged, as usual, above the bottom ofthe vat su'liiciently tovprovide a space 3 for the incoming liquor, or for the means which supply the dye liquor to the dyeing chamber 4:. This dyeing chamber is shown as formed by said perforated top and bottom plates and the side wall or walls of the vat A. The

top plate 2 is adjustable to compress the material between it and the bottom plate, and is held in its adjusted position, preferably by the clamping devices 6 which have been hitherto employed for such purpose.

t will be understood that the dye liquor is introduced under pressure into the space 3 below the bottom plate 1 and thence flows through said plate, the dyeing chamber and the top plate, and overflows from the space above the latter and is again returned to the space 3 for repetition of its stated course of travel, which is kept up until the material to be dyed has been sufliciently treated. This fiow'of the liquor is accomplished, as is usual, in the circulatory type of dyeing apparatus, by a suitable centrifugal pump B whose pressure side has connection with the inlet space 3 and whose suction side has connection with'the portion of the dye vate A arranged above the perforated top plate 2. These connections include what I call a heating or mixing tank or receptacle. The hereinafter described association of the described heating or mixing tank with the dyeing vat and pump, in substantially the arrangement shown has advantages in respect to theheatino ofthe liquor to a predetermined temperature, and its introduction into the dyeing chamber at substantially a uniform temperature, and its freedom from liability of communicating substantially varying temperature to the mass of material contained inthe dyeing chamber; and, therefore, is preferred, but the invention in its broader aspects is not restricted thereto, as already stated.

The heating or mixing tank or receptacle C, is preferably open at the top and is shown as provided with a pluralityof intercommunic'ating chambers, as 10 and 11, preferably formed by one or more'division walls or baffie plates 12 which are interposed between the inlet to and outlet from the tank and terminate above thebottom, of the latter. The chamber 10 preferably has communication with the portion of the dye vat on the discharge side of the perforated top plate 2, by a. return pipe 13 which serves for the inlet of the liquor thereto, and the chamber 11 preferably has communication with the suction opening of the pump, through suitable pipes, as 14-, 15 and 1G. The inlet end of'the pipe 14 is preferably extended downward into the chamber ll as shown in Fig. Suitably disposed in said tank is a heating element, the onefsho'wn being formed of a coiledpipe 17 for steam or other suitable heating fluid, having apertures 17 for the emission of the heating fluid. The preferred location of this heating element is at the bottom of thetank below the bafHe plate or division wall 12 and it preferably extends throughout the length of the opening through which the two chambers have communication with each other.' As here illustrated, the heating tank is arranged to receive gravitally the overflowfrom the dye vat via the periph; eral overflow chamber or trough.

It will be apparent that in the illustrated embodiment the tank C is under suction which acts to draw the liquor therethrough, said liquor entering through the pipe 18 and leaving by way of the pipe 1 1, and that the baiile plate or division wall restricts the diameter of the tank or mixing receptacle and forces the liquor to travel in a circuitous path to the outlet in a stream so related to the heating element arranged in its path that it will be uniformly heated and will uniformly take up the heating fluid. emitted therefrom, the arrangement being such that the degree of heat imparted to the liquor issuing therefrom is readily determinable with sufficient accuracy to answer the requirements ofcold vat dyeing, (2'. e. dyeing with liquor. of a temperature substantially less than the boiling point) or the imparting of delicate and uniform coloring to the material under treatment.

, As already stated, the dyeing liquor is returned to the dyeing chamber. In the illustrated embodiment this return is by wayof the outlet 6 from the pump, and the pipes 18, 19 and 20, in the order named. In.

the space 3 of. the vatAmeans for the egress V of the-heated dye, iquor are provided. This may be of any. suitable hind, such, for eX- ample, as those now employed or the one illustrated in my application filed ofeven date herewith: and numbered, serially, 553,410. in the exemplified form of my invention, provision is made. tor the reversal of the how of the liquor, when desired. This preferably consists of the pipe 21 extending from the junction of, suction or returnpipes 15 and 16 to the junction of pressure or supply p1pes 18 and 19, and pipes 22, 23 and leading from the 3unct1on of the pipe 18 with the pump outlet Z) to the junction of suction pipes 14 and 15. It will be understood that suitable valves are arranged in the couplings Q5, 26, 27, 28 and 29, operable to cause theliquorto fiow in either direction; that is to say, from outlet 1), through pipes 18, 19 and 20 to the dyeing chamber, and through pipe 13, heating chamber, pipes 14. 15 and 16 back to pump, or to flow from the pump outlet Z), to the upper part of the dyeing chamber, through pipes 22, 23, 2 1d, heating chamber and pipe 13, and back to the suction side of the pump through pipes 20, 19, 21 and 16. This reversal is not essential to my invention. It will be noted. however, that when the flow is thus reversed the heating chamber is on the pressure side of the pump instead of the suction side thereof. In fact, it may be stated that while I prefer to arrange the heating chamber between the dyeing chamber, and the suction side of the pump, and outside of the dyeing vat, as important at vantages are secured thereby, yet, it may be otherwise disposed without departing from the spirit of the invention considered in its broader aspects.

In practice, with the arrangement illustrated it is preferred to heat the liquor in .the heating chamber to a slightly higher temperature than is required in dyeing, to allow for loss of heat in its travel to the dyeing chamber, and also to inter-pose a supplemental heating device, as the steam nozzle 30 in the path of. the liquor to the ding chamber. This steam nozzl- 30 pics erably extends to and opens into the steam pipe 17. A valve 31 is preferably provided to cut off the pipe 30 when it seen that the supplemental. heat supplied therethrough is unnecessary.

It is preferred to connect the pipe ll-3 to an overflow chamber. I greatly prefer to employ as su a1 overflow chamber one, D, which extends entirely around the upper part of the vat A, has a continuousputlet 4-0 irom the la ter, at a place arranged above the perforated. plate 2, and is formed to provide a comparatively shallow and narrow conduit or trough 1]. inclined to the pipe 13. The dye liquor thus can overflow entirely around the upper end of the dye 1 perature of the latter is not substantially affected by the heating means, as it in the previous devices embodying pipes coiled around the heating chamber, or arrang 1 contiguous thereto, with no provision for preventing radiation from the heating device to the dyeing chamber.

It is to be understood that while I have herein set forth my invention as a dyeing apparatus, it may be used as a bleaching apparatus, and this and other analogous uses of the apparatus are contemplated to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a dyeing apparatus, the combination with a dye vat, of a pump, a connection be tween the pump and the dye vat at the inlet side of the dyeing chamber. a connection between the pump and the dye vat at the outlet side of the dyeingchamber, and a heating tank interposed in the latter connection,

said tank being divided longitudinally by a depending baflie into communicating chambers and provided with a heating element arranged below said battle.

2. In a dyeing apparatus, the combination with a dye vat, a pump, a connection between the pump and the dye vat at the inlet side of the dyeing chamber, a connection between the pump and the dye vat at the outlet side of the dyeing chamber, a heating tank hav 'ing a plurality of compartments connected by a passage extending longitudinally of said tank and a heating element adjacent to such passage, said heating tank being arranged in the connection between the outlet side of the dyeing chamber and the pump, and a supplemental heating element in the connection between the pump and the inlet side of the dyeing chamber.

3. In a dyeing apparatus, a vat having a treating chamber, a heating chamber arranged outside said vat and adapted to receive overflow therefrom gravitally, a pump whose pressure. side has a connection with the liquor-receiving portion of the vat for circulatingliquor through the latter, and a connection between said heater and the suction side of the pump.

A dyeing apparatus comprising a vertical cylindrical vat, an inlet in the bottom of said vat, liquid-distributing means adjacent said inlet, a pump, piping connecting said pump with said inlet and with the overflow of the tank, and heatin means interposed in said piping on both sides of said pump.

A dyeing apparatus comprising a dye vat, a chamber arranged outside of the dye vat and having connection with the discharge side of the latter, said chamber being provided interiorly with means for causing the liquor to flow circuitously therethrough and having means for heating the liquor, and connections between the discharge side of the heating chamber and dye vat, said connection including a centrifugal pump arranged to force the heated dye liquor under pressure into the dye vat.

6. A dyeing apparatus comprising a dye vat, a chamber arranged outside the dye vat and having connection with the discharge side of the latter and provided interiorly with a dividing wall which terminates above the bottom of the chamber, heating pipes coiled in said chamber and arranged in the space between the end of the dividing wall and the bottom of the chamber and provided with emission apertures, a centrifugal pump, a connection between said pump and the discharge side of said chamber and a connection between saidrpump and the liquorreceiving partof, the dye vat.

7. In apparatus for cold vat dyeing, the combination with a vat arranged for cold vat dyeing, of a circulating pump, connecions between said pump and the upper and lower parts of said vat, and a heater inter posed in one of said connections through which the dye liquor passes providedwith a perforated steam pipe covering the bottom of the heater and arranged to project a multiplicity of steam jets upward through the contents of the heater whereby to heat said contents and maintain constant circulation throughout said contents.

8. In apparatus for coldjvat dyeing, the

combination with a vat arranged for cold vat dyeing, of acirculating pump, connections between said pump and. spaced portions of said vat; and a heater interposed in one of said connections through which the dye liquor passes, said heater being provided with a perforated steam pipe covering'the bottom of the heater and arranged to project a multiplicity of steam jets upward through the contents of the heater, the heater being further provided with means to cause the liquor passing therethrough to,

flow in close relation to said steam pipe;

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID MORLEY HEY.

Witnesses:

THEo. L. lifonraeon, R. S. FAXoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. i 

